Roseburg review. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 1885-1920, 1887-02-25
COMMUNICATION
WASHINGTON, Feb. 18th, 1857.


The sensation of the past week on |
Capitol Hill was the Presidents veto
CT ono Of the most reckless specimens |
of legislation that was ever presented
to any Congress: "The Uniyer sal
Pension Bill" Not that his action
was surprise to those who watched
his course in regard to pension matters
for he has shown, on several occasions
already that he has the courage to do
his duty. But as Representative
Springer said, no man ever filled the
office of President before Mr.. Cleve-
land, who would have the boldness to
veto such bill which had passed both
houses Of Congress by more than two
thirds majority, and which had SO pow
erful sentiment at the back Of it.
Echoes of congratulation have been
coming back to the President from all
parts of the country, and he has
heard plenty of censure from the mere
partisans who have learned to regard
the war as their personal legacy.
But he viii have the praise, approval
and gratitude of the great mass of the
people of all sections, the tax-paying
civilian and the honest veteran, of
all true patriots both of the North and
South.
Should this remarkable pension bill
become law, it would give a pension
to every ex- Union soldier who can not
earn the sort of living he would like
in other words, to every man who was
in the Federal army aud is yet alive
It would give pension to every
drunkard and shiftIess ioafer who was
in the army for ninety days. even if
his disability is due solely to his own
VICES. 1t would give premium to
mendicancy and Incidence, for nothing
convinces man that he is unable to
work like showing him that he can
| live without it.
And then think of the millions after
millions of the peoples money that such
bill would waste. 1t would double
the pension burden of the United
States making it $50, 100000 year.
T. would make the roll call of pen
sioners larger than the Federal army
ever was and four times as large as the
whole standing army of England.
The Republican members of Con
gross have made but little comment
! upon the subject The veto message
3 seems to have taken their breath
Rep. Stalnecker, of N. Y, thinks the
message is the ablest state paper Of
: Mr.. Cleveland's term. Said he, ''It
e takes up the bill, section by section
e and just tears it to tatters. In stating
j his reasons for the veto, he has built {
fort around him which it will be pretty
+ difficult to Storm"
. A western congressman, who wa.
speaking Of tue Presidents courage
said, "my admiration for him was
never great until now He has
: turned his face against sentiment
: before which all parties have bowed
; and if he is sustained by Congress
u this incident may be the turning point
of popular reaction against the abuse
of the whole pension business"
Another enthusiast over the Presi
= dents pluck said, at is the greatest
! apd the best thing that Cleveland evei
4 did. 1t required just such man as
he to put firm foot down against Q
: system Of legislation which threatened
to swamp this Government. "Rep
reseItatdys Oates of Alabama, re-
marked that this veto would make the
South solid again.
Indeed there was no limit to this
pension business and there appeared
to be nobody with courage enough to
say where it should stop Of course
the President has not fixed a final
limit to this kind of pernicious legisla-
tion, but he has shown himself equal to
the situation He has drawn the at
tention of the country to the abuse in
such way that the people who pay
the taxes will begin to think it over.
If he had signed this Pauper PEN
sion bill, he would doubtless have been
called upon during the year to sign a
supplementary bill-a bill pensioning
all men who wanted to enlist in the
Federal army, bat who were physi-
cally unable or were needed at home
| by dependent families. Why net9
IF all men who enlisted. and who want
more support than their present in
comes, are entitled to pensions, why
should not all men be equally deserv-
ing of pensions who wanted to enlist
aud could notl